Zinc base alloys



v 4 invention. which relatesto zinc and has among its objects the provision of spine base alloyo! improved characteristics, will be best Patented Aug. 7, 1 945 V ensure Copper and Brass In ratio Maryland understoodtroni the following description, while the scope oi the invention will be. more particularly P inted out'in the appended'claims.

Alloys according to theinvention contain 0.1

ito but copper, 0.05-to 0.3% silver, and mos-t 0.8% metal or the group consisting oi telluriun and selenium. a

vApplicant has found that the tensile strength Application SerlllNo. 501,051 4 Claims. gci. 15-178) base alloys 01' zinc can be markedly increased by adding small v amounts oi copper to it without any marked decrease in. the ductility unlessthe amount of cop-x; per exceeds about 2.7%. He has also found that the tenaile'strength'of zinc can be !urther.in-' creased by adding with the copper small amounts .0! metal 0! the group consisting of tellurium and However, in this latter case the increased 'tensilestrengthcanbesecuredonlyat withthecopperhasamarked-eiiectininereasing the tensilestiengthas binary v zinc-copper alloy, and secures a somewhat better tensile'strength than ailoyconsisting oi'-sinc, copperandin'etal oithe group. Alsothe stabllityolthealloylnmwml-intainingits tensile ductility with age: is much.

improved sis-compared tothe finc-copper alloy or the same with metal or the group added thereto. -'1'hesilveralso the'very'valuable -eifcci; of markedly the toughness of the alloy messuredhy its resistance to shock .or impact loading, such toughness beingmaintained asthealloy'l-lem, Y

In general the improved anon are characterized by hlghtensile strength and unusual duc-.

tility in the hot rolled and annealed conditions,

bttheslametimethecombination oi silver and metal of the group in conjunction I 29,000 pounds per square inch, the'ducti'lity ap- 20 making the alloys useiul inai fiations where-subjected to moderately high to300 1". '1iieyaiealsostableinre i to maintaining their linear dimensions with age. and a are not subie'ct to intergranular corrosion. -'l.he so stability orthe improved alloys is satisfactory in marked expense of the ductility over that secured by increasing the tensile strength by adding cop-- per alone. Further, he has found that its small of silver is added with the copper and metal or the group mentioned. although roughly thesametensiiestrengthissecuredas-intheabsence of silver, the silver nevertheless correctsthe' '1 decrease in ductility caused by the addition of metaloi the group. For example, zinc in the hot rolled condition has a tensile strength of about 17,000 pounds per square inch and a ductility ponding to 45$ elongation in 2 inches, and v rangesoil toiifl copper, 0.05 to 0.8x; silver,an d

' in lss copperto the-lino will raise its tensile 0.0a to.0.8% metal or the grouiiit is possible to strength-in the hot-rolled condition to about I obtain snows-1min: in h n t rolled wndlflw tensile stren ths 0! from about 30,000 to 02,000 'lproximately some. 'hddinlojb or impact toincrease ratherthan diminilhwithage. p

Ibr examplepby varyin the proportions oi coppensflviarandmetalotthegroupwithinthe inchegbutbyadding 0.1%.8flverwiththecopper edtestiord -o! on-sinc m s m f 'srouptnerewiiibe seureoa alloyswill nun-- tensile strength in the hot.-rolled*condition off siie o! from about 80,000 to 18.000 30.000 pounds per-square inch, thatis to say, pminqs per square inch andelongatiom iii-2, about the same tensile strength as when the ail- .ineheaoii'rom about 88 to 42%. and the same yerisomittedmndtheductilitywillberaisedto 1 --or -aomewhatgre tertou m W v a value to 05m elongationin 2 unimproved alloy its miles oi inches, inother words, abetter uctility than constituentscanbe'hot'and-ooldworkedhy 001i! thatoithe'orisinalraina' Q p procesaest-harin'gsuiiicient d; .Ingenerfl throughoutthe rangesotconstitu I cold plasticity to be readily hotel-con rolled entsof tneimp 've alloy the-siiver into-sheets. The siiws s rea decreasen s hdp fllltytendedtobecafll 'bl 3 m t to w w-flaw the addition a of the group mums contain about isrts-ssst copper. om to m ss and secure a ductility memo: to that of the F and 0.001to05fimetalotthe groupmenw peratures, say up;

bysuperiortensilestrenlthtductilityandtoughe ness in the annealed condition as compared to zinc. having, approximately, 0.1 to 5.5% copper. 0.05 to 0.3% silver, 0.02 to 08% metal or the I group consisting of tellurium and selenium, the balance constituting approximately 08.4 to 09.8%. or the alloy being substantially zinc.

2. Zinzbasealloysacoordingtoclaim l'havlns about 0.07 to 0.15% silver, the balance constitutl ing approximately 93.6 to 99.8% otthe alloy.

3. Hot and cold workable alloys, by superior tensile strength. ductility and tough-' ness in the annealed condition as compared to zinc. having 1 to 5% copper, about 0.1% silver,

and 0.05 to 0.75% metal of the group consisting of tellurium and selenium, the balance constituting approximately 94.2 to 98.9% of the alloy being substantially zinc.

4. Hot and cold workable alloys. characterised by superior tensile strength, ductility and nddow ma a .Monaoo The excellent properties of the improved alloys in the hot rolled and annealed conditions are exhibited by the following table:

cold working when the amount of copper is 1.5% or more. -Whether the alloys are to be hot or cold wprked best results in regard to securing desired propertieswill be secured with about 0.0! to, 0.15% .silver.

tioned. The alloysdo not selianneai during i toughness in the annealed condition as coni- '.Itwi1lbeunderstoodthat,withinthescopeot ..-paredtozincandbyresistancetoseliannealing the appended claims. other elements may be when cold worked, having. approximately, 1.5 to added to the improved -alloy for modifying its 3.5% copper, 0.0! to 0.15% silver, and 0.05 to propertiesv or securing additional properties, so 0.5% metal or the group consisting or tellurium long as the characteristics imparted by the copand selenium, the balance constituting approxie per. silver and metal oi the group mentioned are mately 95.9 to 98.4% or the alloy being substannot ,destrosed. 'tially -zinc.

I claim:' WAR!) 8. BURN. 1. Hot and cold workablealloya-charactsriaod 

